Feeding mechanism for stapling-machines



J. C. DOZIER.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR STAPLING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. e, 1919.

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET J. C. DOZIER. FEEDlNG MECHANISM FOR STAPLING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6; 1919.

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. C. DOZIER. FEEDING MECHANISM FOR STAPLING MACHINE-S.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1919.

"1 348, 1 6 1 Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

UNITED STATES.

C. DOZIER, BATON ROUGEfLOUISIANA.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR STAPLING-MACHINES/ Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

Application filed September 6, 1919. Serial No. 322,152.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. DOZIER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baton Rouge, in the county of Baton Rouge and State ofLouisiana, have invented cer-. tain new and useful Improvements inFeeding Mechanism for Stapling-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to stapling machines, and more particularly todevices attached thereto andada-pted to automatically feed the stock tothe stapler hammers.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of means,attachable to the machine proper, whereby the stock is automaticallygiven a step-by-stepmovement toward and under the hammers, therebydispensing with the necessity for the operator to handle the stock forthis purpose.

Another object of the invention is the production of a device of thisnature which may readily be attached to the standard machines now inuse, and which, in operation, will not only automatically assure thisstep-bystep movement heretofore referred to but will be capable of easyadjustment to regu late said'steps.

Still another object of the invention is the production of meanspreventing too great a forward movement of the stock, under the impulseof the improved mechanism. Other objects will be apparent from thefollowing specifications and claims: In the drawings forming a part ofthis specification,

Figure 1 is a rear plan view of a wire stapling machine to which myimprovement 'is attached,

Fig. 2 is a detailed perspective view of that portion of the machine towhich the improvement is attached, I

Fig. 3 is atop plan viewof a form used for holding the stock as it isfed to'the machine,

Figr is a plan view of the stock after it passes through the machine andleaves the form,

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the operating pawl, t

Fig. 6' is a modified form of the invention, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of an enlarged form for carrying thestock.

7 Now referring specifically to' the drawings, Fig. 1 represents aviewof a wire stapling machine, and I have here shown said machine adaptedfor use in stapling the units which are thereafter utilized to make upshipping boxes or crates, either wire bound or otherwise.

The machine here shown comprises the standard A, provided with a mainoperating shaft B,having an attached driving wheel G to which power isapplied through a belt D. The shaft B is provided with a gear E, meshingwith a gear F secured to another shaft G. Eccentrics H, H, are mountedon the shaft G," and are pivotally connected to rods I, I, extendinupwardly through fixed sleeves J, J, (see ig. 2) supported by thestandards A, A, and carrying a cross head K. Stapling hammers L, L, aremounted on a transverse beam M positioned beneatlf the cross head K,said hammers being suitably connected to and operable by thereciprocations of said cross head. A table N is mounted beneath thehammers L, L, and serves as a support for-the stock passing under thehammers, being provided with suitable guideways for directing the stockthereto.

It will be evident that rotation of the shaft B will actuate the shaft Gand cause the eccentrics H, H, to impart a rising and falling movementvto the hammers L, L,

through the rods I, I, and the cross headK,

wire being simultaneously fed to the hammers from the spools O, O. Sincethe machine so far described is old in the art, and forms no part of myinvention, except in combination, it is believed that furtherdescription thereof is unnecessary.

Ordinarily, when assembling the units of knockdown boxes, a properlysized form is used, and the units commonly comprise two comparativelyrigid beads or strips 1, (Fig. 4) and a plurality of thin veneerpanels2. The panels may be placed in contact, to form a closed unit, or may beseparated to form what may be termed a crate-like structure. Thedisposition of the panels of course depends upon'the nature of the boxesto be produced.

In assembling the units of boxes of this nature, great difficulty hasheretofore arisen because it has usuallybeen necessary for the stocktobe laid in the form and the latter manually pushed by the operatorunder the hammers. The objection to this method has been that theoperator did not always space the staples properly, and the result has20 r V atory to assembly, the strips 1, 1, are laid always been manydefective units and unsightly work. It is the purpose of my invention toovercome this difficulty.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a new form which is designed to receive thestrips 1 and the veneer 2. This form comprises side members 3, 3 and endmembers 4, 4, the end members being connected by a panel 5 which isspaced from the side members, but parallel thereto, as clearly shown insaid figure. A plurality of transverse, upstanding spacing members 6 aremounted on the panel 5, and extend to a point just short of the edge ofsaid panel. Secured to said panel, adjacent at least one of said members6, and at either end thereof, are two blocks 7, 7, provided, with springfingers 8, 8, which extend past the end of the member 6 and are formedwith curved extensions presenting convex outer terminals 9, 9. In actualoperation, preparbetweenthe fingers 8, 8, and the inner edge of the sidemembers 3, 3, and the terminals 9, 9 bear against the strips and pressthem against the members 3, 3. The veneer panels are then laidtransversely'over the strips 1, being separated by the members 6, andthe unit is then passed through the machine and stitched. :It is to benoted that the blocks 7 and the fingers 8are not of a height sufiicientto contact the panels 2, during the aforesaid operation. I

In order to assure the automatic operation hereinafter referred to, Iprovide a row of ratchet teeth '10, in one side of the form, as clearlyshown in the drawings. These teeth may of course be out directly intothe material of the form, or may be attached therethat Ihave provided asupport 11 which is to asdesired. V

Now referring to Fig. 2, it'will be noted rigidly fixed in position, andpreferably slightly curved away fromthe cross-head K. A rocker arm ispivoted at 12 to the support 11, said arm being provided with. asubstantially verticalleg 1-3 and with ahorizontally extending leg 14. V

Fixed to the cross-head, in any suitable manner, is a block 15, providedwith a vertically elongated slot 16 adapted to'receive the reduced endportion 17 of the leg 14. Pivotally connected at 18 to the lower end ofthe leg 11 is a block 19. A pawl 20 is adjustably connected to the block19, as shown-in Fig. 2. The pawl 20 is slotted to receive the bolts 21provided with thumbscrews 22, by which constructionthe effective lengthof the pawl20 may be varied, as will be understood. A spring 23 ismounted on the leg 13 and constantly exerts pressure upon the block 20.

From the construction as explained, the operation of the device shouldbe clearly understood. The form, carrying the assembled strips 1 andveneer panels 2, is

mounted in the-guideways on the table, the pawl 20 resting in one of thenotches formed by the teeth- 10. Each upward reciprocation of thecross-head K, causes the lower wall of the slot 16 to contact the end 17and raise the leg 14. This movement will obviously rock the leg 13.inwardly and exert a push upon the form, through the'engagement of thepawl "20 with the teeth 10. The downward movement of the cross-head Kwill cause a depression of the leg 14 and consequent retraction of theleg 13,drawing the pawl 20 backwardly over the ratchet teeth 10. Byproperly sizing the teeth 10, and adjusting the pawl 20, any desiredarrangement of the stapling points may be effected.

Moreover, it is to be noted that, since therise of the cross-headadvances'the form, and, since the hammers are carried by the crosshead,the elongated slot 16 permits of enough lost motion to assure that thehammers will be lifted clear of the stock before the pawl begins toadvance the form, and this'is an important feature of my construction.Fixed to avconvenient stationary point ofthe machine is a springpressure-foot 24, the lower end of which is adapted for pressingengagement with the top surface ofa side member 3, of the form. Thispressure-foot serves to retard the movement of the form,

and operates asabrake to check the mo mentum of said form, under theimpulse given by the pawl. As soon as the pawl discontinues its forwardpush, the pressure-foot causes the form. to stopimmediately. Z

Figs. 6 and 7 show a modificationof the invention, which modificationwould be ratchet teeth 10. To accomplish this purpose I provide twosupports 11, 11, one on each side of the table. Fixed to the rockersupports 11, 11. An arm 26 is fixed to the I arm 13 is a shaft 25,having bearings in the 6 right end of the shaft 12, in the constructionshown in Fig. 6, and, at its lower end, carries a block 19, and pawl 20,similar to the arrangement shown in Fig. 2. The arms 13 and 26 may befixed'to theshaft 25, by bolts 27, 27, as shown, or otherwise, and itwill be understood that, as thecrosshead' K reciprocates, it will,through the leg 14, rock theshaft 25, actuating the arms 13 and 26and'exerting apush or pull upon each of the pawls 20 operating againstthe teeth -10 on each side of the form." This embodiment of theinvention exerts a push upon both sides of the form, and preventsbuckling thereof in its guideways. Furthermore, in order to accommodatewide forms of varying size, it is obvious that the right hand bolt 27may be loosened and the arm 26 moved longitudinally of the shaft andthereafter again fixed thereto in such a position that its attached pawlmay properly engage the associated teeth 10.

Various modifications of the invention may be suggested to those skilledin the art, but I desire to secure by Letters Patent all suchembodiments as fall fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a stapling machine provided with a reciprocatingcrosshead, stapling hammers, a table under the hammers and astock-carrying form movable relatively of the table, of means wherebyreciprocation of the cross-head may move said form, said meanscomprising a pivoted member in operative contact with the form andadapted for contact by the crosshead after the cross head has startedits upward movement so that a movement of the form will take place afterthe hammers have been lifted therefrom.

The combination with a stapling machine provided with a reciprocatingmember, reciprocating stapling hammers operatively connected thereto,means for feeding stock to the hammers, comprising a. racked formcarrying the stock and movable under the hammers, a block carried bysaid reciprocating member and-provided with a slot elongated in thedirection of the reciprocations of said member, a rocker arm, a pawlpivotally connected to one end of said arm and engaging the teeth on theracked form, the other end of said arm extending into said slot and saidother end of the arm having a width less than the length of said slot soas to provide a lost-motion device, substantially as described.

ture.

JAMES C. DOZIER.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signa-

